MSC Cruises' industry-leading sustainability program has been recognized at the 2020 Marine Environment Protection Awards, presented by the North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA), and honored with the award in the Maritime Industry category.
This recognition praises MSC Cruises' multifaceted environmental work and acknowledges three key sustainability milestones achieved in 2019: the start of construction of MSC World Europa, the first of up to nine next-generation LNG-powered ships to join the company's fleet over the next decade; the restoration of Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve in the Bahamas to its original, pristine state; and the significant steps taken to phase out single-use plastic items across the fleet.
In parallel, MSC Cruises recently published its 2019 Sustainability Report. Built on the Company’s long-term ambitions, the Report highlights MSC Cruises’ vision to become an environmental leader in the global maritime sector, charts a course for the Company to have an increasingly sustainable future, and summarizes the key sustainability milestones achieved last year.
MSC Cruises' Sustainability Program is organized around four key pillars: Planet, People, Places, and Procurement. This translates into a drive to continuously improve the fleet's environmental performance; care for all employees and promote diversity and inclusion; work to ensure that the impact on the coastal communities MSC Cruises visits remains positive; and ensure that the sourcing of the products and services the Company purchases is responsible.
Among MSC Cruises' most significant sustainability achievements in 2019 were the following:
• Construction begins on MSC World Europa, the company's first LNG-powered ship. With significantly reduced emissions, it will incorporate a groundbreaking test of solid oxide fuel cell technology to further advance this advanced technology in decarbonization efforts.
• The opening of Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve in the Bahamas, transformed from a former sand quarry into a sustainable destination. MSC Cruises is now working to establish a coral nursery and marine laboratory on the island to support the regeneration of corals and marine wildlife around the island. When completed, these two projects will become a central feature of the passenger experience on the island.
This year also saw the notable efforts of the newly launched MSC Foundation, which became a key player and an important vehicle for channeling MSC Cruises' charitable endeavors and further strengthening relationships with the communities served by its fleet. During Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas in August and September 2019, the MSC Foundation was present, providing humanitarian aid and delivering more than 250 containers of goods, including water, food, generators, and construction materials.
• As the business grew in 2019, so did the number and diversity of employees at MSC Cruises. More than 8,000 men and women, from 124 nationalities, joined the MSC Cruises family in 2019. Beyond protecting the environment, sustainability also means supporting the people who work with the company and choose to travel with it, as well as the communities and places its ships visit and the stakeholders with whom it has a business relationship.
Pierfrancesco Vago, CEO of MSC Cruises, commented: “We are honored to receive this award, which recognizes our ongoing efforts toward a zero-impact future. As a company, we have an unequivocal commitment to protecting the environment, the coastal communities we serve, and all our employees. Our long-term vision is to become an environmental leader within the broader maritime sector. We are constantly taking steps to reduce the environmental impact of our fleet and investing in the accelerated development of next-generation environmental technologies and solutions.”
Before entering service, all new MSC Cruises ships are equipped with some of the latest technologies and environmental solutions available to minimize their environmental footprint. These systems are regularly updated throughout the ship's lifespan and are even replaced with newer solutions during dry dock periods.
In terms of air emissions, this includes the deployment of hybrid exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCS) and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems to minimize sulfur oxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and particulate matter at the exhaust point. All ships delivered from 2017 onward are also equipped with the ability to connect to local power grids while docked, resulting in a significant reduction in air emissions while the ship is in port.
Regarding wastewater management, MSC Cruises ships are equipped with advanced treatment systems that convert black water into almost tap water quality, ballast water treatment systems, and freshwater production plants capable of producing enough drinking water to meet the ship's needs.
MSC Cruises ships also incorporate some of the latest energy-efficiency solutions to reduce fuel consumption. This includes the widespread use of LED lighting, intelligent heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, and heat recovery circuits, among others. In this context, MSC Cruises has set an ambitious target of reducing fuel consumption by 2.5% year-over-year, aiming to improve performance and achieve a substantial reduction in atmospheric emissions.
MSC Cruises is preparing to welcome MSC Virtuosa and MSC Seashore in the first half of 2021. Both ships will feature the range of environmental technologies and solutions highlighted above and will be among the Company's most environmentally friendly and efficient cruise ships to date.
In 2022, MSC Cruises will take delivery of MSC World Europa, the first of up to nine next-generation LNG-powered ships that will join the company's fleet over the next decade. LNG is the cleanest fuel currently available for the shipping industry. Compared to standard marine fuel, LNG achieves a substantial reduction in atmospheric emissions in terms of SOx, NOx, particulate matter, and carbon dioxide (CO2).
MSC World Europa will also feature a new 50-kilowatt demonstration system incorporating solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology that will use LNG to produce electricity and heat on board. This offers the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 30% compared to conventional LNG engines, with zero emissions of NOx, SOx, or particulate matter. It also offers the advantage of being compatible with other low-carbon fuels, such as methanol, ammonia, and hydrogen.
MSC Cruises also announced in July of this year that it would invest in Palumbo Shipyard Malta to potentially equip it with cutting-edge technology, with the aim of enabling LNG-powered ships to operate in the Mediterranean. This is further evidence of MSC Cruises' intention to lead the sector in this area.
In terms of greenhouse gas emissions, in line with the International Maritime Organization's vision for decarbonizing the maritime sector, MSC Cruises aims to reduce the carbon intensity of its fleet by 40% by 2030 compared to the 2008 baseline. Having already achieved a 28% improvement, the goal is to reach another 12% in the next ten years.
Linden Coppell, Chief Sustainability Officer of MSC Cruises, commented: “Our 2019 Sustainability Report confirms our priorities and actions, particularly in supporting the shipping industry’s ambitious carbon reduction targets, and places sustainability firmly at the heart of our business. We look forward to implementing all of our targets and continuing our journey towards environmental leadership in the global maritime sector.”
In 2019, the global maritime industry also recognized MSC Cruises' long-standing sustainability efforts with the Neptune Award for 'Greenest Shipowner of the Year 2019' at a ceremony held during the Global Sustainable Ports Forum in Copenhagen. In 2020, in addition to the NAMEPA recognition, MSC Cruises also received the Porthole Reader's Choice Award for being the greenest cruise line.
Mr. Vago concluded: “At MSC Cruises, our priorities are the sea and the oceans. And as a family-owned company, we always prioritize the long term over short-term considerations. Despite the challenges our industry currently faces, our focus remains on our long-term environmental ambitions.”.
To download the MSC Cruises 2019 Sustainability Report, visit http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/ad7ec97d#/ad7ec97d/1
For more information on MSC Cruises' sustainability and environmental management practices, please visit www.msccruises.com/en-gl/About-MSC/MSC-Sustainability.aspx
For information about the MSC Foundation, please visit https://mscfoundation.org/
